Chapter 14 Mariko vs Bradley
Maddie's POV
I was hesitant about joining Bradley for coffee. I had work to finish, but I guess I needed to get the coffee outing over and done with so that I could carry on with my day. I was still thinking about what could be going on with Mariko and what happened to his hand. I get that he doesn't want to share what happened with me, but I'm curious. I shook the thoughts away as I sat down on the chair in the cafeteria and Bradley sat down across from me.
We had already got our coffee and now it was an awkward moment for me because I didn't know what to say. "So...how is your morning this far?" he asked.
"It is busy...it is always busy. I have a desk full of work that I need to get through," I smiled, and then I took a sip of my coffee.
"Lana must be having so many personal problems," he shrugged.
"So, you know each other?" I asked.
"Yeah, we basically grew up together since we were babies."
"Family?" I asked.
"You can say that, although not blood related. My mom was friends with Lana's mother and my dad was friends with her dad. They always took each other as family. Lana did good for herself after her dad passed away. I remember how much she hated that her father was on her case to pursue business. It paid off and I believe that it suits her," he smiled, and then took a sip of his coffee.
"I see," I took a sip of my coffee again.
"I studied business and now I am an intern at Nexus Cosmetics. I always wanted to do what my father does. He had always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do and then one day I approached him. He was surprised, and warned me that I should be careful about what type of business I wanted to be in because some companies are bad. He guided me. The Queen Tower in New York is where he made an example of the CEO that got arrested. I think he was Gerard Moses, he had a s^x club that no one knew about and then...sh^t happened." I furrowed my brows...Moses.
"What do you know about Moses?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Not much, just that he is a bad man and he is currently in prison," he said, "My dad tries to protect us all when it is needed and I love him for that. He looked in the direction of the barista, "He hardly eats much when he is busy, so I guess he has some time now to get something to eat." my hand was on the table while my other was around the polystyrene cup.
When I looked where he was staring at, my heart beat faster and it was excitement that was bubbling within me because Mariko was standing at the counter, his back facing towards us and he was talking to the barista. My attention was back on Bradley before looking down at our joined hands. His hand covered mine, "Um..."
"You are a good woman..." I looked up at him, "I can see that you are hardworking and I would like to take you out some time...as friends," I was surprised and then he looked away again in the direction that Mariko was, "See you around, dad," he said and I looked to see Mariko, who looking at our joined hands as he was approaching our table with a sandwich that was wrapped. His gaze found mine for a brief second, his expression was neutral.
"Enjoy your coffee date," Mariko said, but I could hear a restraint of sarcasm laced in his voice and then he walked in the direction of the exit and left the cafeteria. I felt a squeeze to my hand.
"Now, where were we?" I had forgotten that he was holding my hand, and I pulled it out from under his.
"Um...I am not ready for dating. Let us just keep it that way and we will see each other when we do. I don't do these kinds of things and I don't think that I will after this. I don't date rich men for a reason." I made that clear to him.
"It's fine, we can just be friends," he said, taken aback by my statement.
I nodded, "Was that your dad? Mariko?" I asked. It was the first time seeing Bradley and I never knew he had a son. I guess that is the reason why he is acting so weird with me.
"Yeah, the one and only, Mariko Donovan," he replied.
"I see. Well...I have to get back to work. Thank you for the coffee." I said as I stood up and, without anything else to say, I left without hearing his response.
I needed to wrap my head around the fact that he has a son. I was never interested in searching the web, but even if I had, there is hardly anything about Mariko in the media, let alone his family. I feel like Bradley could be one of those young men that would treat a woman badly...just like Ash. I could feel it, but I could be wrong. He is rich after all and it is best that I steer clear from him, but my heart pulls towards Mariko.
I found out quite a few things this morning. My father and his s^x club, was my mother part of that? So, my father was a bad man and now I don't know how to feel about this specific topic. I haven't met the man and I am more eager to meet him if he comes out of prison and I want to know more. I need answers. I was not going to put Arden and Miranda on the spot about being related to Moses. I am going to do this on my own and my mother had better not keep anything away from me either. She had already hid my father away from me all my life. It is time that I got my answers to everything that I need to know.
Mariko's POV
I have to admit that seeing Maddie and Bradley together, with his hand on hers made me want to strangle him. It took everything within me to act cool because I was ready right there and then. Maddie just let him touch her hand. What the hell is wrong with me? If Maddie wants him, then maybe she can be with him. I shouldn't stop them from being together, especially after she told me that she doesn't date affluent men. She is clearly going for one...my son.
I sit down behind my desk and bury myself in work, instead, because that is the only distraction that I have from my thoughts, and forgetting my sandwich because I wanted to see what they were up to. I am not one to get angry easily. But mess with my family and close friends and then you will see me get angry. She doesn't want an old man like me, I sighed as I leaned back in my chair, running a hand over my face because, clearly, my work is not distracting me one bit. That image of them holding hands is etched into my brain. She could have yanked her hand away if she was really not interested.
"Who stole your mood today?" Reggie walked inside of my office.
"Just spoke to Bradley..."
"He has an issue with you and Amber?" he asked as he stood in front of my desk.
"Yeah, in a way. He asked if there was no way for us to work it out and he moved out because he heard our arguments about when he came into the picture, how Amber didn't want kids and Bradley started the whole issue once he was conceived." I replied, but my mood is mostly at the fact that he was with Maddie...making a move as I see it. The fact that he told me to date someone my own age was like I was punched in my gut.
"I think that there could be more to that, because clearly something is bothering you," I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Well, I try to protect my kids and love him as a parent should, but I failed to see that he knew, but he kept it to himself. How must he have felt when living under our roof and knowing that he was a problem for his mother? He told me not to date a young woman...Hell, I don't even know if I should date again because the woman...Because I think women are not interested in me and after all of this, maybe I should just focus on healing and Bella. No time for another woman," I said, trying to steer away from the topic of another woman that I want to have.
"Wait...I detect a woman in here, does that mean that you have someone in mind already or is there a woman in your life that you are so secretive about?" he smirked.
"No...not that I can have her. She is too young for me. She might not want me," I said with defeat. "How do you know there is an actual woman?" I asked with a scowl.
He grinned, "I am a lawyer, remember? I see things and pay attention to detail. All that sh^t."
"You missed the part where I had marital problems," I said with a smirk this time.
"You are good at pretending to be fine," he replied. "Sometimes it's difficult to read you," he shrugged.
"I think I just need to focus on my life right now, she might be going for Bradley either way," I said with disappointment.
"So what you are telling me is that this woman that you have feelings for is seeing Bradley?" his brows were furrowed in thought.
I let out a sigh, "Let me get back to work, Reggie," I started going through the neatly stacked documents on my desk.
Reggie laughed, "So you and Bradley have some sort of competition. Team Mariko and team Bradley. I can see where this will go. Just so that you know, I'm guessing the reason why Bradley told you not to date anyone younger is because young women are sometimes immature, such as Amber. But he has his sights on this woman, as I take it. His dad would be stealing his girl," laughter erupted from his belly.
"I don't have time for this, Reggie," I was annoyed now.
"Well, I am team Mariko, by the way. She will make you young at heart, you are still attractive to these women. I would say take the chance before she slips through your fingers," I looked up at him and he winked at me.
"Thanks for the encouragement," I said with sarcasm as he walked towards my office door.
"I'm rooting for you," he called over his shoulder, "Happiness, Mariko, happiness," and then he was gone.
I leaned forward, my elbow on the desk as I rested my chin on my hand. I am unsure as to what I need to do. I am in the process of getting an apartment so that my daughter can be with me and then I am also fighting this battle about whether to admit my feelings to a young woman who might just not want me. Then there was my son, who might have a potential relationship with her. I do not know what to do. Should I let them be or should I make that move?
Shall I take that risk of getting my heart broken by rejection? As they say, you never know if you don't try. Yet it is difficult for me to do that. Seeing Bradley with her had already stirred so much inside of me and I know that I'm falling for her, I didn't see myself with anyone else. Her face is what comes to my mind at night, and I can't get her out of my head. I hope that she wants me too.